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Simone's ARIA Project: Territories of Life

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My ARIA research with the Centre for Indigenous Conservation and Development Alternatives (CICADA), supervised by Professor Colin Scott, focused on the intersection between decolonization and conservation goals. I began by conducting a literature review on the most up-to-date climate science, looking into the links between what is required in order to successfully mitigate and adapt to climate change, and the ways in which Indigenous peoples have and continue to (where possible) govern their territories and manage their resources. The link is clear: where Indigenous peoples鈥� territorial rights have been eroded, extractivism or other destructive environmental practices have thrived, accelerating global climate change while simultaneously destroying Indigenous ways of life. Considering how Indigenous peoples manage about 80% of the world鈥檚 biodiversity, despite making up only 5% of the population[1], this link is illuminated 鈥� clearly the commodification and control of nature, which is rampant in Western cultures but fundamentally at odds with most Indigenous cultures, has led the Western world to destroy the environment which sustains us. Decolonization thus appears as the most hopeful path towards achieving conservation goals and mitigating and adapting to climate change 鈥� supported by the fact that many existing (not decolonial) approaches towards this end are currently failing颅.[2]^{,[3],[4] ,[5],[6]} The protection and restoration of Indigenous peoples鈥� rights to their territories and ways of life is vital to the protection and restoration of the earth 鈥� and necessitates decolonization. I conducted further research on specific methods or actions to be taken that could help pave this path, such as counter-mapping strategies to strengthen Indigenous claims to their territories, and the potential usefulness as well as downsides to Designated Protected Areas. Following this research, which was used to support a grant proposal for CICADA鈥檚 project of strengthening Indigenous territorial rights worldwide for decolonial conservation ends, I collected data and created a strategic grid displaying different types of funders who may, or may not, be interested in funding a project of this nature. This data collection will be further used to inform an analysis of the motivations of different funders and environmental NGOs in achieving climate goals in a Special Topic course I will be pursuing with Professor Scott in the fall semester.

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I came to university very curious but undecided about what to study, and decided early on to major in Philosophy. Throughout my university career, I realized my passion for the environmental justice movement. I had decided against pursuing an Honours Thesis in Philosophy, because at this point in my degree (though I do not want to denigrate the valuable foundation this major provide me) I felt this was not most suited to my future academic pursuits. Instead, I decided to find alternative ways to gain research experience, in a field I was more passionate about. I became interested in pursuing an ARIA project specifically after taking an anthropology course for my minor with Professor Scott, entitled 鈥楨cological Anthropology,鈥� which could almost be considered a precursor for the project in terms of content. He suggested the ARIA program as a way for me to achieve just what I had had interest in 鈥� research experience in an area of work I was passionate about. We also decided to pursue a Special Topic course in the upcoming fall semester, essentially acting as an extension of this project.

My main learning objective was to deepen my understanding of the interrelationship between colonialism and climate change, in an effort to further understand the meaning of climate justice (as opposed to 鈥榗limate action鈥�). As a climate activist myself, I have started to realize the importance of going beyond just striving to mitigate climate change, but making sure we do so in a way that is just for everyone. What I have come to realize, and what this internship has deepened my understanding of, is the fact that the grave injustices committed against the environment which have caused the climate crisis (such as resource extraction and the commodification of nature) are the very same injustices committed against Indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples鈥� worldviews and ways of life inherently rely on and incorporate ecological sustainability; therefore, harming Indigenous peoples is inextricably tied to harming the environment. It has become clearer to me why defending and fighting for Indigenous territorial rights is integral to achieving climate justice. Another learning objective of mine was to learn how to conduct academic research at a level higher than just the coursework I had completed during my degree. What I had not anticipated, and what may be the most valuable information that I have learned, is institutional knowledge about the process through which research institutes as well as NGOs and non-profits are able to receive funding to bring their visions to life. No matter how amazing or exciting an idea, without this sort of logistical knowledge the project may not be brought to life. With crises as troubling as the ones we face today, I am glad I learned this early on so that I can leverage this knowledge to continue to propel important projects forward.

A major highlight of working on this project was the thought-provoking and interesting conversation I had with my supervisors throughout the summer about these issues and how to solve them. I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from such smart minds, and to forge connections with like-minded people that may continue to propel my future career. Another highlight is the continuation of this project as a Special Topic Anthropology course in the fall semester with my supervising professor, Colin Scott. I have learned so much already and I am excited to continue to learn from and work with him.

The biggest challenge of this internship was, of course, living and working through a global pandemic. Working from home was completely new to me and developing a schedule and workspace within my small apartment was challenging 鈥� though not impossible. Meeting my supervisors and colleagues virtually was also a bit challenging and at times frustrating, but thanks to Zoom and a new desk chair, I was able to figure out what worked for me.

Thank you so much to Dr. Leah Pope and Mr. Clayton Pope. Your donation has made this incredibly meaningful and honestly life-changing project possible for me. My future career and aspirations have been pushed forth with this project and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.